Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the Mitigation Strategy for the impact of HS2 on the natural water resources.

HS2 Ltd’s approach to managing the impact of HS2 on the water environment is set out in a number of published documents, including Information Paper E4: Water Resources and Flood risk.

The mitigation approach is driven by existing environmental law, Protective Provisions in the Acts which authorise the railway and additional commitments made to Parliament, including the project’s “Environmental Minimum Requirements”. As a result, HS2 Ltd’s contractors are required to fully assess risks to the water environment from all their activities and to mitigate risks through design or other interventions.

As the regulator for the water environment in England, the Environment Agency reviews those risk assessments and mitigation strategies, and grants approvals to proceed when it is satisfied the risks are suitably managed and adverse impacts are unlikely to occur.